Librium Side Effects Center

Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

What Is Librium?

Librium (chlordiazepoxide) is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety disorders or alcohol withdrawal. Librium is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Librium?

Common side effects of Librium include:

drowsiness,
tiredness,
dizziness,
nausea,
vomiting,
constipation,
blurred vision,
swelling,
skin rash,
irregular menstrual periods, or
headache.

Tell your doctor if you have side effects of Librium including:

confusion,
depression,
hyperactivity,
hallucinations,
slurred speech,
trouble walking,
facial or muscle twitching,
sleep disturbances,
trouble urinating,
changes in sex drive, or
jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Dosage for Librium

The dose of Librium varies depending on the condition being treated. For mild to moderate anxiety, 5 mg or 10 mg, 3 or 4 times daily. For severe anxiety, 20 mg or 25 mg, 3 or 4 times daily. Consult your doctor for pediatric or geriatric dosing.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Librium?

Librium may interact with barbiturates, blood thinners, MAO inhibitors, medicine to treat psychiatric disorders, narcotics, or antidepressants. Tell your doctor all medications you use.

Librium During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Librium is not recommended for use during pregnancy due to the potential for harm to a fetus. Based on information from related drugs, this drug may pass into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Breastfeeding while using this medication is not recommended. Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking this medication.

Additional Information

Our Librium (chlordiazepoxide) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

SLIDESHOW

Anxiety Disorder Pictures: Symptoms, Panic Attacks, and More with Pictures See Slideshow

Librium Consumer Information

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Chlordiazepoxide can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication or alcohol. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

severe drowsiness, slurred speech;
slow heart rate, slow breathing (breathing may stop);
problems with memory or concentration;
unusual changes in mood or behavior, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
problems with balance or muscle movement;
confusion, excitement, paranoia, anger, aggression; or
stomach pain, loss of appetite.

Drowsiness or dizziness may last longer in older adults. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury.

Common side effects may include:

drowsiness;
confusion; or
balance problems.

After you stop using chlordiazepoxide, get medical help right away if you have symptoms such as: unusual muscle movements, being more active or talkative, sudden and severe changes in mood or behavior, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, suicidal thoughts or actions.

Some withdrawal symptoms may last up to 12 months or longer after stopping this medicine suddenly. Tell your doctor if you have ongoing anxiety, depression, problems with memory or thinking, trouble sleeping, ringing in your ears, a burning or prickly feeling, or a crawling sensation under your skin.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

QUESTION

Panic attacks are repeated attacks of fear that can last for several minutes. See Answer

Librium Professional Information

SIDE EFFECTS

The necessity of discontinuing therapy because of undesirable effects has been rare. Drowsiness, ataxia and confusion have been reported in some patients particularly the elderly and debilitated. While these effects can be avoided in almost all instances by proper dosage adjustment, they have occasionally been observed at the lower dosage ranges. In a few instances syncope has been reported.

Other adverse reactions reported during therapy include isolated instances of skin eruptions, edema, minor menstrual irregularities, nausea and constipation, extrapyramidal symptoms, as well as increased and decreased libido. Such side effects have been infrequent, and are generally controlled with reduction of dosage. Changes in EEG patterns (low-voltage fast activity) have been observed in patients during and after Librium (chlordiazepoxide) treatment.

Blood dyscrasias (including agranulocytosis), jaundice and hepatic dysfunction have occasionally been reported during therapy. When Librium (chlordiazepoxide) treatment is protracted, periodic blood counts and liver function tests are advisable.

DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE: Chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride capsules are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Withdrawal symptoms, similar in character to those noted with barbiturates and alcohol (convulsions, tremor, abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting and sweating), have occurred following abrupt discontinuance of chlordiazepoxide. The more severe withdrawal symptoms have usually been limited to those patients who had received excessive doses over an extended period of time. Generally milder withdrawal symptoms (eg, dysphoria and insomnia) have been reported following abrupt discontinuance of benzodiazepines taken continuously at therapeutic levels for several months. Consequently, after extended therapy, abrupt discontinuation should generally be avoided and a gradual dosage tapering schedule followed. Addiction-prone individuals (such as drug addicts or alcoholics) should be under careful surveillance when receiving chlordiazepoxide or , other, psychotropic agents because of the predisposition of such patients to habituation and dependence.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Librium (Chlordiazepoxide)